shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use PetaPixel?

Photography news site covering photo and camera news, reviews, inspiration, and education. - petapixel.com

Depends. PetaPixel is a free photography news and reviews publication, not software — there is nothing to procure. Read it if you follow camera gear; skip it if you expected a tool or want zero affiliate influence on recommendations.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~15 public sources. Most security items are PetaPixel's own reporting on third-party breaches, not flaws in PetaPixel itself. Membership pricing not disclosed in sources.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo evidence found
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence found
  • Security postureNo findings about PetaPixel itself

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
PetaPixel MembershipNot disclosed in sources reviewed

Best for

  • Photography gear shoppers
  • Camera news junkies
  • Working photographers studying technique and pricing

Not for

  • Teams buying software — it's a publication, not a tool
  • Photographers who won't allow unpaid use of their images
  • Readers demanding zero affiliate influence on reviews

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Affiliate links in reviews sparked public independence criticism; weigh that when trusting buy recommendations.

medium

Reddit PSA alleges unpaid use of submitted photos; check terms before sharing your work.

low

Members-only articles and videos exist; expect gated content.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Expert hands-on testing of state-of-the-art cameras and lenses
  • News, reviews, inspiration, and education, free to read
  • Podcast features ex-DPReview hosts Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake
  • Breaks photographer-relevant security stories, like the 500px breach

Cons

  • Affiliate-link controversy raised trust questions about review independence
  • Reddit users warn PetaPixel uses reader photos without pay
  • Some content locked behind paid membership

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x2security x2news x3

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Core content free; membership optional
  • Ease of use. No evidence found
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Expert reviews, tests, podcast, video, education
  • Support quality. No evidence found
  • Security posture. No findings about PetaPixel itself
  • May 2009 Founded Per Muck Rack listing
  • Yes Free to read Optional paid membership
  • #1 imaging publication Claimed reach Self-described 'world's largest'
  • $644.5K Crunchbase figure Listed metric; scope unclear

Pricing

Free

$0

  • News, reviews, inspiration, education
  • Podcasts and YouTube videos

PetaPixel Membership

Not disclosed

  • Members-only content and videos

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Users praise the expert reviews and ex-DPReview talent but flag affiliate-link independence concerns and unpaid use of reader photos.

“PSA: Don't let PetaPixel use your content for free.”
Reddit, r/photography
“PetaPixel's Affiliate Link Crisis: Why Their Camera Reviews Can't Be Trusted”
Facebook group post
“Unfortunate sequence of articles on Petapixel…”
Reddit, r/dji

Alternatives

Compare PetaPixel with each alternative.

  • DPReview

    Deep camera database, sample galleries, and reviews; the classic rival.

    PetaPixel vs DPReview

  • 43Rumors

    Micro Four Thirds news, leaks, and PetaPixel coverage.

  • Mu-43.com

    Micro Four Thirds community discussion and gear debate.

  • The Cameraderie

    Photography forum community cited as a DPReview alternative.

Full analysis

Based on ~15 public sources. Most security items are PetaPixel's own reporting on third-party breaches, not flaws in PetaPixel itself. Membership pricing not disclosed in sources.

Free photography news site, not software. Good gear reviews; affiliate-link and unpaid-photo controversies. Nothing to buy here.

Methodology

Based on ~15 public sources. Most security items are PetaPixel's own reporting on third-party breaches, not flaws in PetaPixel itself. Membership pricing not disclosed in sources.

Sources

  1. PetaPixel homepagepetapixel.com
    official
  2. PetaPixel Reviews sectionpetapixel.com
    official
  3. PetaPixel on Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  4. Reddit PSA on content usereddit.com
    review
  5. Facebook post on affiliate link controversyfacebook.com
    review
  6. The PetaPixel Photography Podcast (Apple)podcasts.apple.com
    official
  7. PetaPixel on Muck Rackmuckrack.com
    news
  8. PetaPixel on Crunchbasecrunchbase.com
    news
  9. 500px breach coveragepetapixel.com
    security
  10. PetaPixel security pagepetapixel.com
    security

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.